[Purusam]

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What settings would you recomend if youre shooting the moon with the sigma 150 500 mm on the k-5?

I tried a few shoots last night but i didt get a good picture. all where kind of blurry.

This is the best i got and its sharpend in lightroom.
And its very blurry.

Please get my head spinn with settings you recomend.

Attached Images

 

[campdog]

Try posting the exif data so we can see what settings you used. The moon is a lot brighter than most think. Didd you use a tripod and shutter releas cable etc.

John

[Tommot1965]

you can use AV...Id shoot at the biggest Aperture...use center AF and spot metering..just make sure you put the moon in the middle of the VF..Job done

EDIT.
if the result shutter speed with the above setting is too slow to handhold..use a tripod..at 500 mm I wouldnt want a shutter speed of anything under 1/500..Id prefer 1/750..so if your under these..use a tripod

whats the sharpest Aperture with that lens...if you know..then use that ..

[Purusam]

That picture was taken with

K-5 ver: 1,03
F: 6,3
1/320
iso 80
500mm

I used a tripod and a wireless shutter.

[Tommot1965]

was SR off..and is it a decent tripod ?

you could try mirror lock up too, cause even the mirror moving with a light tripod and a lens like a bigma can cause camera shake...you need a pretty decent tripod weighed down if poss

[dave2k]

You could also use the self-timer, set to 2 sec. This setting raises the mirror when you push the shutter release and then the picture is taken two seconds later.

[Purusam]

Thanks to all who replyed in the thread

where can i find this setting? mirror lock up too

[dave2k]

the settings can all be found in the owner's manual

The 2 second timer is a drive mode so you get to it by pushing the top of the 4-way buttons on the back. You choose the clock symbol to get to the two timers and choose the one with the 2 in it.

Mirror lock up is also a drive setting. I believe the symbol is MUP. You have to be in a mode other than Green mode to get to this setting.

[Kenn100D]

Did you use spot metering then Program?
Here is my shot with Tamron 28-300 handheld with SR.



Sorry the moon is a bit small and not that sharp (i cropped the image).

[pmastello]

I try to shoot the moon several stops UNDER exposed. Then I use increase contrast ONLY to bring the exposure back up. Doing this drives the background to sold black and gives more definition to the craters. If it looks good on your camera monitor, it's too bright!
I sharpen at about 1 pixel radius and 50-100% in PS elements 5, usually desaturate the color and that's about it.

I also use MANUAL exposure and MANUAL focus ONLY. I shoot about 20 shots in manual focus refocusing between EVERY shot. Out of 20 shots manually focused one will simply be better than all the others. I've never gotten what I thought was a good shot using auto focus on the moon.

Unfortunately I am at work and can't post any of my moon photos (I also probably should be on the forums either )

[pmastello]

Oh, also I find its best not shooting at a full moon, as the light is coming straight on, not giving much definition to the craters etc. Shooting at a half moon or quarter moon gives deeper shadows and greater definition to the features on the moon.

[Purusam]

okey so i did a second try,

im quite satisfied but i know i can do better.

[fs999]

I used the MUP mode (mirror up) and cable release, waited 2 seconds before shooting. I had a also a Kenko SHQ 1.5x between.

1/100, F8, 80 iso. Spot measurement.

[Purusam]

Anyone who know if u can put a teleconverter on the k-5 with the sigma 150-500 ?

Pleae give me a link :-)

[fs999]

As stated just above, Kenko SHQ does.

Kenko 1.5X Pz-AF Teleplus SHQ teleconverter for Pentax bei eBay.de: Lenses (endet 25.03.11 02:42:54 MEZ)